Yes, there IS a silent killer on the loose in developed nations, particularly in America, and most of us will fall victim at some point in our lives.

This silent killer is mostly preventable, yet most of us do little to avoid it, and do even less to educate ourselves about its risks. Unfortunately, conventional medicine mostly deals with this epidemic with drugs – medications often more lethal than the condition(s) they’re meant to treat. When wholistic rejuvenation principles are applied, relief and reversal of symptoms deal with inflammation through lifestyle and nutrition-based medicine.

These inflammatory disorders not only compromise our quality of life, they are painful, debilitating, largely mis-diagnosed, over-medicated, and even fatal.

If you doubt in the least that inflammatory disorders has reached epidemic proportions, look closer at the terrifying statistics:

Cardiovascular disease is the Number-One Killer in the U.S. Americans diagnosed with some form is 80 million (2006), and it killed 1 million in 2005.

23.6 million people have diabetes (2007), an increase of 49% from previous ten years. Annually, 1.3 million cases are diagnosed and 200,000 deaths are attributed to it and its complications.

50 million Americans are victims of allergies; double from 20 years ago. Hay fever and seasonal allergies in developed countries have increased 100% in each of the last three decades; allergic dermatitis tripled from the 1960s.

20 million Americans have asthma, the sixth most common chronic disease.

65% of American adults, and 16% of children, are overweight.

70 million Americans are victims of arthritis; that’s one in three people – twice as many as two decades ago.

15 million people in the U.S. suffer from eczema, the most common skin condition in children under age 11.

3 to 6 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, not accounting for those not diagnosed, which is estimated to be closer to 12 million. 90% percent of fibromyalgia cases in the U.S. occur in women.

Over 1 million Americans are victims of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Inflammation in general makes up the combination of factors that is the underlying cause of almost every illness, because those are the conditions that are causing congestion of the ducts and vessels of circulation and elimination, such as the bile ducts of the liver, the digestive tract, the blood and lymph vessels, the urinary tract, the meridians (Chi ducts) and the hormonal pathways (endocrine system).

Thyroid Matters…

Both T4 and T3 hormones perform several important functions including the regulation of the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), which determines the amount of energy the body uses simply to function. Therefore, insufficient or excess quantities of these hormones can lead to weight-related as well as many other chronic health disorders.

Iodine Saboteurs…

These days, most of the iodine we get in our diets is from table salt. Iodine was actually added to salt to reduce incidence of goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) back in the 1920s. And that worked for a while. Currently people are cutting back on table salt for other health reasons so they aren’t getting much, if any, iodine. What little they do consume may not work effectively, either, even when it’s natural sea salt. Iodine depletion has occurred because other minerals like chlorine, fluoride, and bromide, which lower iodine levels in the body by blocking iodine receptors, are increasingly consumed through foods and environmental exposure. Chlorine is now used to purify water instead of iodine. Fluoride, almost universally found in toothpaste and drinking water, blocks the ability of the thyroid gland to concentrate iodine. Bromines, which began replacing iodine in commercial baked goods over 30 years ago, can cause depression, headaches, and even hallucinations.

Rebirth of Ancient Methodologies…

Luckily, not everyone has forgotten what this amazing mineral does for our health. Integrative medical practitioners are bringing iodine back in their clinical protocols. And researchers suggest that boosting iodine consumption improves thyroid health, lowers incidence of breast and fibrocystic disease, prostate dysfunction and promotes overall well-being. The current minimum daily requirement is 150 micrograms (mcg). Typically, we in the United States consume 240 mcg per day – just enough to prevent goiter, but not enough for other truly beneficial health effects. In my practice we do an easy patch test that’s been done for centuries to determine if the current amount of iodine is sufficient in the body…remember…what goes ON the skin goes IN the body so this test is extremely accurate as a guide for natural supplementation. If you’re not a client and are interested in how to do the easy skin-patch test, go to my website and join my FREE Health Detective Blog at www.yourhealthdetective.com to download all the directions in color from our archives. Remember, it’s not only important to take the correct supplement, it’s more important that the body can convert it to useable energy – a homeopathic complex of natural iodine from seaweed does that, Naturally. Better yet, my booklet, “Your Thyroid” is available on my website and explains everything you need to know about your thyroid function, how to test it yourself for less than $6. and the recommended amount of supplementation to maintain wellness.

Symptoms of Hypothyroid…

Basically, when the thyroid gland doesn’t receive the “fuel” that it needs to function, a thyroid deficiency called hypothyroid develops. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates over 2 Billion people are iodine deficient – with up to 50 Million experiencing serious symptoms of imbalance that go undiagnosed and untreated.

Iodine is especially vital for pregnant women, their unborn babies and young babies as a deficiency can lead to severe developmental issues. Recently, iodine deficiency has been linked to autism in children.

When you consider that industrial farming methods, lack of minerals in the soil, and environmental pollutants have all robbed the soil of natural mineral resources, it translates into poor iodine-content in foods and equates to health disorders that have their roots in iodine deficiency.

The following are the most common disorders/diseases known to include iodine deficiency:

Thyroid enlargement – often called “goiter”

Mental/emotional imbalances such as depression, anxiety, quick temper

Fetal hypothyroidism (improper thyroid function in unborn children – leading to brain damage)

High cholesterol even resistant to dietary changes and/or prescribed medications

Gastric forms of cancer

Constipation

Stiff joints

Our Japanese Neighbors…

By comparison, people in Japan consume more than 12 mg (12,000 mcg) of iodine per day, 50 times more than the average American. Life expectancy in Japan is just over 82 years old – in the United States it’s about 78 years and infant mortality there is half of that of the United States. And…American deaths from breast cancer are three times the number in Japan.

One in seven American women today will develop breast cancer. Thirty years ago, when iodine consumption was much higher, only one in 20 women developed breast cancer. Women in Japan who consume high amounts of dietary iodine have much lower rates of breast cancer and thyroid problems. However, when women emigrate from Japan to the United States and begin eating a Western diet, with its fractional amount of iodine, their incidence of breast cancer and thyroid disease increases dramatically.

Scientifically Speaking…

Beyond thyroid support, iodine’s anti-cancer functions may be amongits most important benefits. Scientific tests exposing estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells to iodine show the cells are less likely to grow and spread. Fibrocystic breast disease is a common condition involving swelling, tenderness, and discomfort of the breasts. In one study, 98% of women receiving iodine treatment were pain-free by the study’s end, and 72% had improvements in breast tissue.

Iodine, Naturally…

Iodine is available in various forms, each of which affects specific tissues in the body. If thyroid issues are your concern, potassium iodide is best absorbed by the thyroid. Breast tissue uses iodine most efficiently in the form of molecular iodine. Consider a supplement that includes more than one form like that found in a homeopathic blend. The most effective formula I’ve used and recommended is a homeopathic proprietary blend called Wholistic Thyroid Balance which contains three forms of iodine; sodium iodide, potassium iodide, and molecular iodide (from kelp).

If you’re extra-sensitive to cold, put on weight easily, have dry skin, feel “foggy”, or are victim of soft and connective tissue pain like fibromyalgia, you may be deficient in iodine. Other easy-to-recognize signs include a thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows, stiff joints, and dull, lusterless hair. If these sound like common symptoms, it’s no surprise – most people don’t get the iodine they need!